Behavioral Health/Chemical Dependency
Deborah Robinson
Deborah Robinson of Joliet had been overweight for 20 years. At 333 lbs, Deborah, 46, suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes. “I was so stressed out from being overweight,” admitted Robinson. “It got harder to breathe and I just felt exhausted all the time.”
After deciding to undergo gastric bypass surgery, her journey to find the right hospital began in 2003. She attended several seminars on gastric bypass surgery at different hospitals in the area but didn’t feel comfortable with a single one until she attended Dr. Brian Lahmann’s seminar at Silver Cross Hospital. “The room was filled with people but it felt like a one-on-one meeting with the doctor,” recalls Deborah.
Dr. Brian Lahmann, M.D., F.A.C.S., bariatric surgeon with BMI Surgery at Silver Cross, performed Deborah’s procedure, a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.
In this procedure, Lahmann says, “We make six small incisions around the abdomen and inflate the area with carbon dioxide so we have an area to work.” Stapling creates a small stomach pouch. The remainder of the stomach is not removed, but is completely stapled shut and divided from the stomach pouch. “The stomach is divided so a large portion of the stomach never sees food,” says Dr. Lahmann. The outlet from this newly formed pouch empties directly into the lower portion of the jejunum, thus bypassing calorie absorption.
A benefit of doing this procedure laparoscopically as opposed to open surgery is that patients have less bleeding, less pain and discomfort and a generally shorter recovery.
Deborah was in Silver Cross Hospital for only two days after her procedure and experienced minimal pain.
Deborah lost 30 lbs. in the first 3 weeks after the surgery. Today, she has lost 155 lbs. A self-proclaimed exercise fanatic, Deborah says, “I feel so good and really energetic. I feel 20 years younger.”
Deborah says, “I’ve been recommending people to have this surgery because every single day people come up to me and ask me how I’ve lost all this weight—many don’t even recognize me.”
In particular, Deborah is not ashamed to say she’s had gastric bypass surgery. “A fact is a fact,” she says, “and I feel like something has really worked for me after trying everything else.”
“Also my success is due to the wonderful guidance of Dr. Lahmann. He was so caring through my entire process, he truly is an awesome physician,” said Deborah.
Free Informational Sessions are held every Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Brown Cardiovascular Institute Lobby, which is located inside the Specialty Care Pavilion on the Silver Cross Hospital campus, 1300 Copperfield Ave., Joliet. Participants will learn about the advantages and risks of traditional and laparoscopic bariatric weight loss surgery, find out who is a candidate for the procedure, and hear from area patients about their experiences. Family and friends are welcome to attend. Call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325) or click here to register to attend..
